NFL Draft: 3 sleeper teams that could draft a QB

The NFL Draft has a deep quarterback class this year, and it could pique the interest of these three squads.

The quarterback class of 2020 is very deep with talents like Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert among the many passers capable of leading NFL franchises. Teams like the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers figure to draft quarterbacks, but they won’t be the only ones looking.

Let’s take a look at three teams that few are linking to quarterbacks but could be in the market for a passer later this month. The first team that may look in this direction just took a quarterback last year, but Dwayne Haskins’ struggles could lead to a change of heart in our nation’s capital.

Washington invested a first-round pick in Haskins last year but he looked completely lost as the Redskins floundered to the second-worst record in football. Most experts have the Redskins taking Chase Young with their first-round pick, but a new quarterback can’t be ruled out.

Ron Rivera is now the head coach in Washington and he didn’t draft Haskins, a similar situation to what happened last year in Arizona. Josh Rosen was taken by the previous regime, but new coach Kliff Kingsbury took Kyler Murray anyway, shipping Rosen off to Miami.

Burrow will be gone when the Redskins are on the clock, but if Rivera thinks Tagovailoa or Herbert is a franchise-changing passer they could duplicate what Arizona did last April.

The Green Bay Packers have a legendary passer under center in Aaron Rodgers, but he is getting up there in age. Rodgers will begin this season as a 36-year old, and it is hard to anticipate exactly how much longer he will play at an elite level.

Picking at the end of the first round could give the Packers an opportunity to grab a quarterback prospect they like and let him learn under Rodgers for a few years before taking over. It would be an eerie parallel to how Rodgers began his career sitting behind Brett Favre for three years before replacing him in 2008.

This pick could also be made in the second round if Green Bay wants to make a push at winning right now, but you can’t rule out another quarterback for Green Bay.

This is another team that views itself as an immediate contender, but the New Orleans Saints don’t really have a long-term answer at quarterback. Drew Brees may retire after the 2020 season, and the only other quarterback on the roster right now is jack-of-all-trades Taysom Hill.

The smart play for the Saints would be to draft a quarterback in the first round and groom him to succeed Brees next season. Players like Jacob Eason or Jordan Love should still be on the board when New Orleans is on the clock, so that is a move they should strongly consider.

The Saints would be well-positioned to take a player like Love, who is polarizing to scouts, and put him in an environment to succeed in Sean Payton’s system. Winning another Super Bowl is the priority for New Orleans, but they may not be able to resist taking a quarterback who can play as soon as next season.